The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-26
"THE PLUMB LINE. I"
Sermon Of the Rev. DR. Talmage
In Brookl,n Yesterday.
walls Cannot be Built independent
OF the Character Of the
Foundation.
,srrorlt TO TRn ArrlAL.I

1
lyn Tabernacle this morning, DR.. Tai
mage expounded the sixth chapter Il
the Second Epistle to the Corinthians,
SO ting forth the importance Of separa.
ton from bad fsllo xship, and saying
that man 10 ne better than the c I'm.
pany he keeps. Prof. Henry Eyre
Blown played al organ solo, Sonora
No. ], In d minor, by Guillmsnt. The
subject OF the eermon was "a Straight
Up and Down r ,igion." ard The text |
Was Amos wi, 8: sand the Lord said
uAto me, 'Amos, what seest thou9
aud I said, "A plumb line. d.. Tal.
msgs eal0:
The solid masonry OF the world
has to me q fascination. Walk about
some OF the triumphsl arches and the
csthedrsls, 400 or 800 years cid, and
eco them stand as erect as when they
were builded, walls OF great hight, for
cpDturi 10 not bending o quarter Of al
ioca this way or that. 80 greatly hon.
oIed were the masons who buildsd
these walls that they were free from
taxation, aud called Gree" masons.
The trowsl gets most OF the credit for
th,as buildings, and Us clear RIGGING
on stone rnd brick has sounded across
the spes, Bat there IL another imple.
ment Of just as much importance ss
the trowel, and my tex recog o.zss 1t.
Biick ayert, etoaH masons ana cgrpen'
ters, IN tne building Of wsllp, use an
instrument made OF cord, at the end
OF which lump Of lead 10 fastened.
They drop 1t over the side Of the wall,
and, a. the plummet naturally eeeks
the center Of gravity in the earth, the
workman discovers where the wall 70
Q dee, ana where II bulges out, and
jnst what 10 the perpendicular.
Our text represents God ss standipg
on the wall OF character which the
Israelites had built and In that way
measuring IT, "ADd the Lord said
unto me, Amos, what e,est thou ?
And l rad, 'aplumb Lint"
What the world wants is strsight
up and down religion. Much Of the
90 called piety Of the day bends this
wy aud that to tuit the times, II 10
horizontal with Q low state OF ssnti.
msnt end morals. We have all been
building q wall Of cbarscter aud II H.
glarinely imperfect and needs recon-
stIuciion. How shall II be brought
into the perpendicular 0aly by the
divine msasuie nent. "And the Lord
tald unto me, Amos, what seest thou 2
sud / said, a plumb line"
The whole tendency OF the times 10
10 mska rs act nv the standard OF
what others do. II they play cards,
We plsy c,rds. II they dance, we
dance. II they read certain styles Of
books, We read them. We threw over
the wall Of our character the tangled
plumb line Of other lives and reject
the infsllible test which Amos saw.
The question Tor me should not be
what you think II right, but what Go
thinks 10 right. This perpetual refer.
epcs 10 the behavior OF Others, co
thor Oh II decided nything but human
faliibility, 10 q mistake as vide a. the
world. There are tea thousand plumb
lines m use, but only one is true and
exact, aud that is the line u Gods
eternal right. There Ia q M hty at.
tempt beirg made 10 reconstruct
and hx mp the Ten Command
ments. To many they seem
too rigid. The lover Of Piss
leans over about thirteen feet from
the perpendicular, ami people gC
thousands Of miles 10 see Its gracefu
inclination, aad by extra braces ant
vsuous architectural contriysrcss II
10 kept leaning from century /,
otntnry. Why not bavs the ter
granite blocks OF Sinai set
little aslsnt7 Why not hav,
the Pillar II Truth q Lean
ing toweri Why is no. an ellips,
~ geo ! an . tqusref WHY 10 not al
obliqns a. good a. s,raeh' MP an,
dosn7 Ny friends, we must have
standard. Shall It be Gods or mans
The divine plumb lice needs 10 b
thrown over all merchandise TIL n
ear d, II ytars ago solomon discoyere,
the tendency OF buyers 10 depreclst
goods. He saw q man beating dow
IN article lower and lower, aud syin
4 was hot worth the prize asked, an
when he bad purchased at the loves
point he told everybody what q shar
bargain he had struck, and how b
had outwitied the merchant. Prov
eros II, IA. 81 IL na,ght, II
naught, saith the buyer; but when b
" gone his wsy then he boa1teth.
No utterly sskew IL society In thi
matter, that you seldom hnd q sclls
ssking the price that he expect. TO ae
He puts on q higher vslus than h
proposes TO receive, knowing that h
will have 10 drop. And II he want
Ally he asks seventy. five. And u b
wants 1000 he asks $500. IL
naughi," saith the buyer; "the f,brI
r 10 dtieo i've; the style Of goods Ia poo
, l can get Q sewhers better article .
! q smaller price. Il is out a fashion
: Il 10 damaged; IL will fade; II W
. not wear we'll" After q while IN
: merchant, from over persuasion q
. from desire 10 dispose Of that partict
{. lar stock Of good, saws; well, taxi
. n At your own price," ard the pm
j chaser goes home with light step an
/ 'Hi' Ah.N wv HNNst 'hAt wv NfhA
i dental ifiendr, aud ohuckles white b
q tells hos thst for hall price lac u
Q the goods. In other words, he liz
b std we pr nd OF II. Nothing woul
. make umea 40 good, and the earniD
= oi n livelihood 30 easy ~ thu univti
q "a sdopiion Of tho Law OF right. sui
. picion e,ris 9 through all oargai
. making. Ma who sell know n,
whether they will ever q
;; the IN rey. Purchasers know n,
" whether the g,lds shipped will ~ n
[. cording 10 the sample. And VIVA
q with the age number OF clerks IA
q are making iste entries end ther 81,
a cindiug 10 q .nada, and the plnsi ,
= OF hfms lhst fall for millions n a
" lars, tone't men arr Al their " - On
mike q living. He Who stand, n
}. amid sll TIE ~ sssute and 1oea night
a accomplishing scneihins toward N
" essabilsL AsaI . q high oonmerci
70 property. have dsep sympalh
Tor tue laboring Glasses, who toll wit
hand aud loot. Bat We mus, no, e.
get the business men, who, wllEol
any complaint, or hammered proce
stone through the s,iest, are eadurir
10 stFeee Il circumstance Terrific. IT.
70 foriunae people OF today ere tho,
/ s.HA 49, -. "A IL. -. -.